Locust Horde
The Locust Horde is a race, or alliance of several races that, until Emergence Day, appears to have remained in the subterranean regions of Sera. The Locust Horde has decided its ultimate goal is the extermination of the human race down to every man, woman, and child. They are waging a genocidal war against the Humans because they are in a civil war with the "lambent", which has been going on for an undetermined amount of time, forcing them out of the Hollow and into a war with humanity over who controls the surface world, which is discovered during the course of Operation Hollow Storm. All known attempts at negotiating with the Locust Horde have ended in violence (although Adam Fenix may have made contact with them). The Locust consist of a common race of drones and all manner of other animals that are indigenous to the Hollows. The Locust Horde exists in underground tunnels known as the Hollow, which is a short term used to describe the hollow portions of planet Sera which is mainly controlled by the locust Horde. The centre of the Hollow is Nexus, a massive Locust construction, possibly a city. The Locust Horde technology appears to be at around the same level as that of humans with similar firearms, although the locusts' arsenal seems to be more biological based with the use of Tickers, Nemacyst, Brumaks etc. Locust troops will use nearly any weapon, whether it is one of their own design or human-made. Origins The origins of the Locust are a mystery, although they existed long before the Pendulum WarsGears of War:Aspho Fields chapter 1. In the history of Tyrus, there are stories and legends of creatures stealing disobedient children which are likely based on factual elementsGears of War:Aspho FieldsGears of War:HollowGears of War 1 Trailer. During Operation Hollow Storm, Delta-One was sent to New Hope Research Facility they discovered that during the Pendulum Wars the COG created 'the genetic bridge to the future'; the Sires. There is much speculation that the origins of the Locust can be traced to New Hope and in particular Ruth, one of the subjects. The occupants of New Hope were sent to Mount Kadar, where many years later Delta-One would find the entrance to the Hollows. An alternate theory is that the Locust came from a neighboring planet (or one of its moons) and feed off imulsionGears of War:Destroyed BeautyGears of War 2. However, since they feed on rockworms and human flesh this is unlikely. Leaders Locust Queen (Myrrah) The Locust Queen is the enigmatic leader of the Locust Horde. Though she is never present on the battlefield, she is able to observe skirmishes with the COG and possibly even command the units of her army. However that may just be another General. It is unknown if she is a member of any known Locust races. Since locust speech in general is deep and sometimes unclear (Drones not Therons) and she appears far more similar to a human, it brings up the question of her clear speech, and whether she is a different species. It is possible she may be a more "pure" form of locust, and the true genetic bridge that the scientists were apparently trying to achieve as stated in act 3 of the second game. She is seen in Gears of War 2 but is only heard in Gears of War. General RAAM General RAAM was the Leader of the Locust Horde military, and was second to the Locust Queen. He appeared as a large Locust shrouded in a small swarm of Kryll. RAAM had pronounced facial features, with large, bony eyebrow ridges and a seemingly constant snarling expression. He is said to have been a Theron before being promoted to General, although he looks much more like a boomer due to his immense size. During the final battle RAAM fought on the train in act 5 of the first game, he carried a Troika machine gun (although this weapon is normally mounted on a turret, RAAM wielded the weapon with one hand). He had one main advantage over enemies of the battlefield, his shroud of Kryll which he somehow trained or communicated with. This is only one of the many reasons RAAM was feared. He was killed by Marcus Fenix in Gears of War. He does not appear in Gears of War 2, but is mentioned by Marcus and Dom. Skorge Skorge was the High Priest of the Locust Horde. He is a member of the Kantus caste of priests, sharing their tall, sinewy frame. It would seem that after RAAM's demise he took the position of the Horde's highest military leader (perhaps he was the only other Locust leader qualified enough to assume the role). He wears specialized armor, studded with spikes. He also sports several dreadlocks that seem to come from his helmet (though they may be his hair or tentacles) which look similar to those of the "Predator" alien in 20th Century Fox's movie series. In addition to standard Kantus priest combat equipment consisting of a Gorgon Pistol and Ink Grenades, he uses a formidable staff with chainsaws at each end. He is defeated by Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago in Gears of War 2. He is also seen jumping out of the ground, chainsawing a tank in half, and protecting the Queen as well as performing reconnaissance as stated by the Queen. He is presumed dead as of the end of Gears of War 2. Foot Soldiers Drones Drones appear to be the common race among the Locust Horde. They are larger than humans and have chalky white skin with gray, scale-like patches that most likely are hardened to protect them from minor damage. Sniper Drones often wear goggles for increased accuracy. They were bred in the Hollow to be bloodthirsty fighters. When ordered, Drones will throw their lives away by the hundreds to kill one Gear. They often crawl out of "emergence holes," which the Locust use as bridges between underground and the surface world. Drones follow basic infantry tactics of flanking, dominating the terrain, and setting up ambushes. Almost fearless, they know little in the way of self-preservation and rarely retreat. Drones are often heard shouting words such as "Groundwalker" or "Homonid" when they spot any human. They will usually wield the Hammerburst assault rifle. While some regular Drones have taken to using the human Lancer assault rifle, Cyclops (Dubbed for the headgear they normally wear in tandem with wielding the Lancer) will use the chainsaw bayonet. Most basic drones wear a helmet and body armor while Grenadiers mainly go into battle armorless except for shoulder plates. Aside from standard drones, there are eight variants that are basically the same creature: *Gunner from Gears of War 1 and 2 *Spotter from Gears of War 1 and 2 *Grenadier from Gears of War 1 and 2 *Sniper from Gears of War 1 and 2 *Locust Hunter from Gears of War 1 *Cyclops from Gears of War 2 *Bolter from Gears of War 2 *Flame Grenadier from Gears of War 2 Boomers ]] Boomers are large, barely intelligent Locusts that appear in Gears of War & Gears of War 2, usually wielding the 'Boomshot' grenade launcher. They are often seen partnered with other Boomers, but they do not use infantry tactics, instead they move forward slowly and fire their weapons. To combat this tactic, many Gears have noted that an easy way to defeat a Boomer is to stay behind cover and bring them down with automatic fire. Boomers mainly can be heard laughing and saying "Boom!" before they fire. Mauler A new class of Locust seen in the events of Gears of War 2, Maulers are Boomer with a large, bulletproof shield. The Mauler's Shield (Often referred to as a 'Boomshield' due to its ability to shield from splash damage) can be wielded by a human or Drone and set in the ground for mobile cover. Maulers will slowly move whirling their flail around, and then, when they are close to an enemy, they will charge. Most Maulers carry explosive flails that are used to first disorient, then literally maul their victims (hence their title). Butcher Another variant of the Boomer encountered in the events of Gears of War 2 Butchers are, in a sense, Locust chefs, wielding a cleaver which they use to chop up Rock Worm meat in the Hollow to feed the Horde. While they have a rather non-combat related role in Locust Horde society, they are deployed as shock troopers due to their immense size and endurance. However, they are only encountered in game when the player seems to wander into a Locust mess hall, and they attack. They can also be seen in the lower levels of Horde. Butchers often make their pressence known by shouting "Hunger!" before attacking. Flamer A variant of the Boomer encountered in the events of Gears of War 2, the Flamer carries a Scorcher Flamethrower (with fuel tanks on their backs) and is heavily armored. This armor also contains a helmet which must be knocked off via gunfire before a proper headshot can be made, according to COG troops. Another easy way to kill this Locust is by shooting the fuel tanks on their backs, which causes the fuel to ignite and then explode. The only difference between the Flamers and the Flame Boomers is that Flamers will run, while Flame Boomers mainly move slowly. Grinder Another Boomer variant encountered in Gears of War 2, the Grinder is a heavily armored Locust wielding a Mulcher Chain Gun. Its armor includes a helmet which must be shot from a specific angle before a proper headshot can be made according to COG troops. It has also been reported that before firing they will yell out 'Grind!' or anything along those lines as a signal to their comrades to get out of the way. Berserkers Berserkers are huge female monsters which appeared in Gears of War. They are blind, instead they relying on smell and sound, no matter how faint. Possessing enormous physical strength, these Locusts can rend foes limb from limb and can gain enough momentum when running to smash through a solid brick wall. Vicious and bloodthirsty (even by Locust standards), they have even been known to kill other Locust Drones just for getting too close. Any Gear that fights a Berserker will have to be quick with their feet to defeat her. To kill a Berserker, you must shoot it with the Hammer of Dawn. You may also then attack it with another weapon while it is stunned and glowing red, but this is not necessary. Theron Guards Delta Squad first encounters Theron Guards guarding the Imulsion pumping station, but went on to fight them through Gears of War & Gears of War 2. They are usually found in the underground or near seeder encounters. They are easily distinguishable from Drones because they wear long leather-like cloaks that trail behind them when they move and metallic masks, in addition to ornate crimson armor which is apparently superior to the generic Drone armor. Their sibilant voices have been known to scare Gears into fleeing. Their voices are also hard to distinguish being so raspy and mistaken for the wind. Therons are stronger, faster, and far more intelligent than an average drone. They mostly wield Torque Bows. They are also the only known locust race to carry and use more than one weapon at any one time. There is also a 'subspecies' of Theron Guards, known as Theron Sentinels. They are taller and slightly tougher than Theron Guards, but other than the slight differences in size, armor, helmet and durability, there is little difference. Some Therons do not wear helmets so it is unclear if that is a third ranks of the Therons, but as they usually appear on the backs of Reavers this could be in order to improve visibility. Wretches Small, jittery members of the Locust, Wretches are able to climb on almost any surface. Their attack tactics are similar to the Fast Zombies of Half-Life 2, the Flood of Halo, or Zerglings, climbing on surfaces, and jumping forward in a frenzy to attack their prey. They are weak yet fast and are often used as a distraction or as cannon fodder by the Locust. Alone, they are weak, but in groups, they can literally tear COG soldiers to shreds. They often make their presence known before becoming visible by letting out a horrid, extremely high-pitched scream that can make the Gears grab their heads and ears in pain and smash nearby glass or objects (hence the name Wretches). They are very dangerous to Gears that forget to look up or are overwhelmed by a subsequent attack. Another type of Wretch also exists, a type that has mutated and become lambent after exposure to Imulsion. First appearing in Gears of War this kind of Wretch is called a "Dark" or "Lambent Wretch" and explodes when killed, injuring anyone who is too close making them extremely dangerous. Unlike the other Lambent, the Lambent Wretches are possibly members of the Locust Horde (alternatively, they may simply not be intelligent enough to pick sides). Wretches can be dispatched in any conventional manner, including Melee attacks. Dark/Lambent Wretches also kill one another when they explode, causing chain reactions, sometimes clearing entire rooms. There seem to be two kinds of glowing Wretches. Those found in the Imulsion factory have a cyan glow to them because of the refined Imulsion they are exposed to there, while those underground and those attacking you in act 5 of the game, have an orange glow. Other than that, both types are the same when it comes to damage, damage resistance etc. Sniper A nuisance through Gears of War & Gears of War 2, Locust snipers are deadly, long range aggressors who wield the Longshot sniper rifle. They do not generally pose much of a threat until they are encountered on Insane difficulty, where they often utilize headshots with lethal effect. They are less resilient to gunfire than other Locust, which can and should be exploited by players. It was one of these that killed Anthony Carmine in Gears 1. Palace Guard These elite locust warriors appear in Gears of War 2 and will protect the hollow and Queen Myrrah with their lives. For this reason they are equipped with ornate armor similar to that of the Theron Guards, and some of them even ride upon fearsome beasts known as Bloodmounts. You are not able to play as the Palace Guards in multiplayer in Gears of War 1 or 2. Kantus A new breed of locust appearing in Gears of War 2 is the Kantus. They stand almost 7 feet in height and have leathery white flesh. Kantus are essentially Locust priests and are led by the Locust High Priest, Skorge. Kantus are often heard chanting, which is used to communicate with other locust, (Drones, Rock Worms and Tickers) often directing them to attack the enemies concentrating on him. Kantus can also manipulate their voices to very deadly effect, stunning and even knocking opposition down with their ear-piercing screams. Since Kantus can also revive their downed locust brethren with their chants, it is advised to kill the Kantus hanging back before wiping out the other locust. This can be quite difficult though, because the Kantus are surprisingly agile, frequently leaping out of the line of fire. As vicious as their master, The Kantus' primary weapon is the Gorgon Burst Pistol and the Ink Grenade, which it wields with deadly precision. You can play as the Kantus but the size is reduce to that of a Theron. Beasts It is interesting to note that Locust beasts often have a helmet-like device on them. Coupled with the 'controls' on Reavers and Brumaks, these helmets could be used to control the animals, and would explain why Delta squad was able to pilot two Reavers and later a Brumak in Gears of War 2. It is unknown whether the Locust beasts are indigenous or were altered the same way the people in the maximum security lab were, and turned into the Sires via biological manipulation or a catalyst. Later enabling locust beasts and the horde once exposed to direct contact with Imulsion, turn Lambent. This would make sense as humans are only sickened by Immulsion, while the locust are... changed. Seeders Large, insect-like Creatures that launch Nemacysts into the air, flying jellyfish-like creatures that act as flying mines and anti-air interceptors, causing havoc for King Raven choppers through out both games. When Seeders are present in an area, they scramble COG radio frequencies. Nemacyst have the annoying habit of homing in on the player, exploding on impact and injuring anyone around it. Seeders can be killed using the Hammer of Dawn; additionally, Seeders are susceptible to the heavy cannon fire from a Centaur Tank, a Brumak or a Reaver. Reavers Large, flying creatures about twenty times the size of a drone. They are saddled up and ridden by a Beast Rider as well as a passenger Drone (or Theron Guard), who guns down enemies, usually with a Torque Bow. They play an essential role in the Locust offensive as fire support and harassers, and are able to impale Gears with their tentacles. Reavers have very weak armor, and in both games can be killed easily by Troika machine guns or heavy fire to the stomach. Corpsers Corpsers are immense Locust beasts which appear to be somewhat arachnid. Their heads appear almost humanoid except for their insect like eyes, and they wear multi-lensed helmets similar to those worn by Brumaks. Corpsers have eight thick rock camouflaged legs that guard their vulnerable underbellies, which is the only vulnerable part of their body besides their mouth. The Locust Horde uses Corpsers to dig tunnels through the soil of Sera, allowing the Horde to move about undetected, even as far as behind COG lines. Corpsers are often seen moments before Locust attacks, and they are often symbolized leading the Locusts out of the ground on Emergence Day. The Jacinto Plateau, which comprises granite and marble, is the only place on Sera that the Horde can not dig through quickly which made it suitable for the COG's main Headquarters. You only fight one in the first game in act 3 Angry Titan, though there are several in Gears of War 2. Brumak Brumaks are huge Monsters with extraordinarily thick hides. They often grow to 12 meters in height and tend to weigh around 10,000 kilograms (22,046lbs). They were apparently bred by the Locust Horde from smaller native apes and are lethal at close range. Their head-gear resembles the Corpser's helmet, but their bodies have more in common with humanoids than arachnids. Brumaks are capable of carrying a rocket launcher and a Gatling gun on their back, in addition to two high-caliber autocannon-like guns on the forearms; they have also been rumored to carry energy beam cannons to kill at a range. Their strength can be compared to a Corpser's. Kryll Kryll are small nocturnal bat-like creatures. They stay deep underground during the day and come up to the surface the moment the sun has subsided into the night. Because of their nocturnal lifestyle Kryll are extremely photosensitive and avoid lit areas; both the Gears and Stranded use this to their advantage, dispatching them with powerful UV lights which causes immense burns (weapons fire being ineffective thanks to the Kryll's small size). Kryll are voracious and indiscriminate carnivores that will feed on almost anything they catch including both Gears and Locust Drones, literally stripping the flesh and bone away to nothing within a few seconds. However, in locations close to their habitat, they are spread sparsely, since they are feeding in the cities. So far only General RAAM knows how to control the Kryll, which he uses as an advantage to shield himself. It was said in one of the collectibles in Gears of War 2 that the Lightmass bombing destroyed the Kryll breeding grounds, explaining the reason they do not appear in Gears 2. Other Locust Hydra During the last cutscene of Gears of War what appears to be a subspecies of Reaver or a new species all together is shown. It looks like a Reaver but it has jaws like that of a Rhinoceros Beetle. Even though in Gears of War 2, it is confirmed that the anonymous rider is Skorge, Queen Myrrah's bodyguard and leader of the Kantus, at the end of Gears of War 1, the rider looks much more like a Theron Guard. In the Official Gears of War 2 guide it is confirmed that the Hydra is a mutated Reaver, possibly as a result of Imulsion exposure. After the showdown in the Palace you fight it in a mid-air boss fight, Skorge mounted on its back. The Hydra is the largest known animal in the game and even surpasses the mighty Brumak in size and possibly power, only dwarfed by the Rift Worm and the Lambent Brumak, which is easily the size of a large building. Rock Worm Rock Worms are creatures indigenous to the Hollow that Marcus and his team encounter. They aren't very hostile unless you get in their way, probably because they are virtually indestructible. They eat the glowing red fruit that grows from the ceiling and floor of the Hollow which can be used to guide them around caves so that Marcus and his team can take advantage of the Rock Worms' mobility and rocky hide it as cover. Their status as Locusts is debatable, as they seem to be little more than wild animals and don't ally themselves with either side. Rock Worms' are also a primary source of food for the locust, lending weight to the 'wild animal' theory. Rift Worm Possibly a genetic defect of the Rock Worm, the origin of a creature so catastrophically huge is never explained, 'though it is explained in-game that it was awoken by the deployment of the Lightmass Bomb in Gears of War. Through the events of Gears of War 2, it is revealed that the Rift Worm was being used to sink the Jacinto Plateau before Delta Squad killed it. It swallows the area under cities, creating city-sized sinkholes, and swallows Delta Squad during their escape attempt. In the game it appears as though the Rift Worm's path is decided by Skorge, riding his Hydra over the Rift Worm. Nemacyte The Nemacyte is a relatively small, spider-like creature only found within the Rift Worms stomach, which always attack in groups. They spawn from small holes that erupt in the stomach cavity, and ambush their prey with extreme speed and accuracy. They are about the same size as Wretches, so they are an easy and very weak target. It is doubtful these creatures actually hold any allegiance to the Horde, as they seem to be wild animals acting on instinct (or even parasites). Nemacyst The Nemacyst are the small Ink Mortars that are spawned from Seeders. They will hover in the air as easy targets until an enemy is spotted and then proceed to dive bomb kamikaze-style and blow the hell out of the area of impact. They are roughly the size of three or four wretches and have tentacles protruding from their undercarriage. Because of their explosive nature they are very weak, and basically anything that can cause damage can kill it in one or two shots. They are seen in Gears of War 1 and 2 and are used to bomb the Assault Derricks and prevent the deployment of the Grindlifts. Bloodmount The Bloodmounts are usually kept in a cage until the riders choose them. They carry a single rider (a Beast Rider or Theron) on its back for gun support. It has two legs which it uses as claws to attack the player, but it really walks on its hands and attacks with its shriveled feet. Once the passenger has been eliminated it will run at you and maul you. This also occurs if and when you cause enough damage to its head, where the Bloodmount will attempt to claw it's helmet off, sending the beast into a violent rage. Tickers This type of Locust seems to resemble a small rodent with long front legs. It is a walking bomb that will set off when it gets close to an enemy; there is a slight delay between ignition and explosion though, giving the player plenty of time to kill it. As its name suggests, it emits a 'ticking' sound. The new Kantus can call upon these to help defend itself against an assault. Players can melee the Ticker to knock it into the air, and 30 melees on Tickers will bag the 'It Takes a Lickin' achievement. Tickers are also one of the few Locust in campaign that will deliberately go up to you and finish you off when you're downed on Casual or Normal difficulty. Torture Barge The Barge is actually a massive living creature coupled with Locust technology, used by the Locust to transport/torture Human captives and Locust troops, and is an essential part of crossing the Hollow in Gears of War 2. The only way to destroy the barge is to use the Brumak's heavy machine guns (or presumably any other heavy weapon) to destroy its legs, which it uses in tandem with a gas-filled body to crawl along the ceiling of the Hollow. The Leviathan The Leviathan is an enormous monster living in the underground lakes of the Hollow as seen in Gears of War 2. It does not appear until the player is forced to board a Locust Gunboat, at which point it attempts to devour the entire ship. As Chaps of the Stranded notes, its almost impossible to cross the lakes unless you're a Locust; this would suggest that either the Locust are capable of controlling the beast, or have some way of avoiding it. However, the latter is supported at a point in the gunboat where it is mentioned that the Locust seem afraid to follow, implying that they simply try to totally avoid it. Considering how large the lake is though, it is also possible there are more than one Leviathans out there; that, or it gets around really fast. Birth Possibilities It's interesting to note that Berserkers and Myrrah are the only females. In the book Aspho Fields it is stated that the Drones mate with Berserkers, who have to be restrained in order to prevent them from pummeling the drones to death. Myrrah does not seem to be an enormous baby-factory like bee or ant 'queens', although during her broadcasts in the Hollow she does refer to the Horde as her 'children', further muddying the waters. It has also been suggested that they are former humans turned into Locust by unknown means. There is a variety of evidence to support this, but nothing conclusive. In a collectible found in the High Security lab, it talks about a test subject who is a human. It states that her nails grew faster and her hair receded, which has lead many people to conclude she was turning into a Locust (some people even believe she became Myrrah, which would explain her 'unusual' appearance for a Locust, especially if the rest of the Horde are produced with the above-mentioned method). It should also be taken into consideration that the Sires bear a strong resemblance to Locust, and the semi-sentient security program Niles refers to them as 'valuable specimens' and 'genetic bridges'. Finally, in a record left by the scientist Niles is based on he states that the personnel from the lab were headed towards Mount Kadar, which is now a Locust outpost and entrance to the Nexus. It is possible, however, that the creatures encountered at the base were genetically altered creatures mixing both Human and Locust genes. Lambent A mutant variant of the Locust. The Lambent are created when a Locust is exposed to Imulsion. The Lambent are stronger and faster than regular Locust, and far more deadly. Most Lambent explode when killed. When the Locust are leaving the hollow the Lambent horde are seen fighting the Locust in what seems to be some sort of civil war between the Locust horde and the Lambent horde for control of the hollow. The Lambent overall goals are unknown at this point, but seem to involve capturing the Hollow. Lambent Wretch Shown in the first Gears of War, the Lambent wretches were wretches sent to guard the Imulsion plant. They explode when killed and are sometimes called Dark Wretches. Lambent Drone From Gears of War 2 Drone Lambent, unlike other lambent locust, Drones do not explode when killed. Drones are the primary Locust used by the Lambent to take the hollow. Unlike the normal Locust who have a large variety of Drones, the lambent Drone class appears to be made entirely out of Grenadiers. Grenadiers are always the first ones to be sent into direct combat, so what ever started turning locust in lambent(aside from the Imulsion vaporizing) Grenadiers would be the first ones sent to investigate, thus being the first ones to become lambent aside from wretches. Lambent Drones are known to be very strong and resilient, being able to drive back a squad of normal Locust consisting of a Kantus, two Boomers and four Drones, with several others dead on the floor before Delta Squad arrives, although there were at least a few dozen lambent in the group that was seen. Lambent Brumak Created when a Brumak is exposed to Imulsion. When turning Lambent it grows much, much larger; so large that it explodes out of it armor. Its shape becomes warped as it sprouts tentacle-like growths and a second, Xenomorph-like mouth. Oddly enough, like the Lambent Wretches but unlike the Lambent Drones a Lambent Brumak is explosive (bearing in mind that Lambent Wretches are first encountered in an Imulsion processing facility, and the Brumak does not become Lambent until after wading through copious amounts of Imulsion, it could be that Lambent Drones have only had minor Imulsion exposure, and that is why they aren't explosive). Killing a Lambent Brumak will cause a massive explosion. Trivia *Although the locust have been thrown two attempts of annihilation from the humans, one being the Lightmass offensive, the other being the flooding of the hollows, it's unclear whether or not they will survive again and come back even harder for that final stand against humanity and the lambent. It's possible considering, as said above they could have survived the flooding of the hollow. *Due to thousands of people unaccounted for on E-Day, rumors were made by the Humans of Sera on the whereabouts of the missing. Theories range from the implausible "the Locust eat humans" to the likely "the Locust are taking prisoners". The rumors were finally halted when C.O.G forces discovered thousands of captured Humans in the Hollow being used as slaves in the labor camps and being tortured or "processed". Also, when in multiplayer, if you are a locust and kill, down, harm or take meatshield a human, the locust say 'meat' or 'fresh meat' hinting that they do eat humans. *Though there is a specific list of arms actually produced for Locust forces (typically marked with the Locust insignia), they quite frequently appropriate human weapons for their own use. Video Devs talk about new Locust Horde members in Gears of War 2 q76YssFgJrE&fmt=18! References Category:Groups Category:Locust Horde